Criminal Case Processing

Criminal case processing often is described as a funnel or a sieve. The funnel captures the notion that fewer and fewer cases proceed deep into the criminal process. The sieve conveys the idea that at every stage, cases drop out of the criminal court process. These metaphors can be misleading because the actual number of cases moving from one stage of the court process to another can vary by the nature of the charge, by jurisdiction, and/or through discretionary decisions made by judges and others. No matter the number of cases that do go through the courts, judges and prosecutors follow the rule of law but also have an enormous amount of discretion in their decision making. Criminal case processing includes numerous players, from professional staff-who keep the courtroom secure and provide judges with information on defendants and the nature of their current and past offenses-to other personnel who provide services to defendants, victims, and their families while the case is being processed.

Select either a historical or contemporary high-profile criminal case to use for this Discussion.

Focus on aspects of criminal court processing and proceedings, both pretrial- and trial-related, as well as concepts related to these processes and proceedings.

Focus on the issues surrounding sentencing and how they relate to the case you selected.

Consider how the case you selected moved through the system and where the defining moments of the case took place.

Think about your case and review in your mind the various concepts, processes, and proceedings illustrated by the case.

Include the name of the case that you selected in the first line of your post.

Submit 150 - 500 word response: Brief description of the high-profile case you selected, including the court system involved (state or federal). Then explain the procedures that occurred during the court case and why they occurred. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points. Finally, explain one actual or potential ethical or diversity issue that might have impacted the outcome of the case.